Mountains & Valleys

This past week I was able to attend a church trip in the Rocky Mountains. The beauty of God’s creation was so evident, and He taught me many things through the experiences I had.

God takes each and every single one of us on different paths, each unique and beautiful in their own way. Some of us spend much more time on the mountain peak, reveling in the greatness of the God that got us there; others spend much more time in the valley, striding ahead with great hope and trust in the promises of God. But what you need to realize is you never need to worry about where you are because God’s faithfulness is with you every step of the path when you choose to follow Him.

TO THOSE IN THE VALLEY

One thing I’ve had to learn through my walk with the Lord is that we are called to be content with wherever He leads us, even if it isn’t where we think we want to be. Wherever the Lord leads us, we are called to worship Him and keep our eyes resting on Him. We are to be confident in His promise and in where He is ultimately guiding us. Trust Him, because His plans are perfect and work together for our good (Romans 8:28).

I once heard a quote that said, “It’s biblical to be in a valley, but it is unbiblical to camp there.” The moment that you stand defeated in the valley, you stop all progress and momentum and you begin to set up camp. DO NOT SET UP CAMP! Setting up camp in the valley will prevent you from advancing towards the next place the Lord is leading you. His will and plan for each one of us is not to bring us harm, but to bring us to His perfect plan (Jeremiah 29:11). If you feel stuck and defeated, keep moving forward with Him!

The ground in a valley is immensely FERTILE. Because of the combination of the fertile soil and water supply from rivers and streams, various kinds of vegetation are able to grow there. In biblical terms, we can bear spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) in the valleys because of the provisional resources of the Lord. In my own experience, the seasons of my life that grew the most spiritual fruit were the ones where I was in a valley environment; I grew the most in the midst of pain and hardship. The reason I was able to bear that fruit was because I did not camp out where I was. As God kept moving forward through the valley, so did I. I did not stop His work and provision so I could pity the circumstances. However, there were times that I did camp out in the valley. Because I did, I limited myself from growth. The more you stop in sorrow, the more time will be added to your season in the valley.

MY PRAYER TO THOSE OF YOU IN A VALLEY:

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray a blessing over Your children that are currently in a season with a valley. I pray that Your provision and blessing will follow them in all that they do. I ask that they build the courage and trust to move forward while keeping their eyes on You. Increase the spiritual fruit already present in their lives, and provide opportunities for them to bear even more. We thank You, Father God, that You are with them just as faithfully as You are with Your children that are on the mountain top. May Your Spirit guide them through any obstacle that comes in their way. I ask for strength and wisdom to come out of this season of their life. I thank you that “even though [we] walk through the valley of the shadow of death, [we] will fear no evil, for You are with [us]” (Psalm 23:4). Amen.

TO THOSE ON THE MOUNTAIN

So often, we idolize the peak of the mountain because it is affiliated with the most “blessings” (often materialistic). It is important that we remember that we need to serve the One that blesses, not the blessings themselves. While the mountain peak is AMAZING, so is every other place where God is with us. The quality of a season of life is not dependent on how wonderful we feel in the duration of it, but rather how close we draw near to Him. We need God just as much on the mountain top as we do in the valley. Yet, I often see so many people forget about God on the peak of the mountain because they forget that He is the one that got them there in the first place. My hope for you is to not worship the peak when you get there, but humble yourself to worship God and His provision for bringing you there. Earthly possessions are not eternal. We should seek after the spiritual things that are eternal. I would greatly advise you to embrace the blessings the Lord has provided, but to be humble with His blessings, realizing that anything earthly cannot be taken with us to our heavenly home.

During my visit to the Rocky Mountains, a group of girls and I went hiking up one of the mountains. I had been hiking before in other states, but this time was MUCH harder. Higher altitude, more rocks, greater incline. As I was hiking, I was so focused on the next step that I forgot to look behind me and see the beautiful view and imagery. The Lord revealed to me that so many of us do this in life. We are so concentrated on what’s next in front of us, that we forget to reflect on where we have been and thank God for bringing us where we are now. The reality is, God is constantly seeking to move us forward, and so often we do not look back on where we once were and thank Him for leading us through it all. My hope for you is to be thankful in every circumstance; that you do not get so caught up in the next step that you forget to thank God for what He’s done in your life. If I had kept going and never looked back, I would have missed the beautiful view behind me.

MY PRAYER TO THOSE OF YOU ON A MOUNTAIN:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for bringing Your children on the mountain to where they are. I thank You for Your glorious provision and promise of faithfulness. Father God, I ask that they do not idolize the peak of the mountain, but look to You with faithfulness for bringing them there. I pray that You refine their hearts to humility. I ask that their time on the mountain will be spent in thanksgiving for how almighty You are. May gratitude come over them and lead them to an admiration for You, Father. Your faithfulness is evident in those on the peak, and I thank You for the journey there. I ask that their time on the peak may be well spent in giving thanks to You, and for spiritual growth to occur. I pray increase and blessing over them. Amen.

Final Thoughts

Wherever you are, I hope that you reflect on the posture of your heart. If you are in a valley, are you camping out and distancing yourself from God’s guidance out of your own self pity? If you are on a mountain, are you idolizing the feeling of being at the peak and are you forgetting to thank God for taking you there?

Blessings!